Photoacoustic sounds from meteors
Abstract
Concurrent sound associated with very bright meteors manifests as popping, hissing, and faint rustling sounds occurring simultaneously with the arrival of light from meteors. Numerous instances have been documented with –11 to –13 brightness. These sounds cannot be attributed to direct acoustic propagation from the upper atmosphere for which travel time would be several minutes. Concurrent sounds must be associated with some form of electromagnetic energy generated by the meteor, propagated to the vicinity of the observer, and transduced into acoustic waves. Previously, energy propagated from meteors was assumed to be RF emissions. This has not been well validated experimentally. Herein we describe experimental results and numerical models in support of photoacoustic coupling as the mechanism. Recent photometric measurements of fireballs reveal strong millisecond flares and significant brightness oscillations at frequencies ≥40 Hz. Strongly modulated light at these frequencies with sufficient intensity can create concurrent sounds through radiative heating of common dielectric materials like hair, clothing, and leaves. This heating produces small pressure oscillations in the air contacting the absorbers. Calculations show that –12 brightness meteors can generate audible sound at ~25 dB SPL. As a result, the photoacoustic hypothesis provides an alternative explanation for this longstanding mystery about generationmore »
- Authors:
-
- Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
- Czech Academy of Sciences, Ondrejov (Czech Republic)
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1345579
- Report Number(s):
- SAND-2015-3780J
Journal ID: ISSN 2045-2322; srep41251
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC04-94AL85000
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Scientific Reports
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 7; Journal ID: ISSN 2045-2322
- Publisher:
- Nature Publishing Group
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION
Citation Formats
Spalding, Richard, Tencer, John, Sweatt, William, Conley, Benjamin, Hogan, Roy, Boslough, Mark, Gonzales, GiGi, and Spurny, Pavel. Photoacoustic sounds from meteors. United States: N. p., 2017.
Web. doi:10.1038/srep41251.
Spalding, Richard, Tencer, John, Sweatt, William, Conley, Benjamin, Hogan, Roy, Boslough, Mark, Gonzales, GiGi, & Spurny, Pavel. Photoacoustic sounds from meteors. United States. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep41251
Spalding, Richard, Tencer, John, Sweatt, William, Conley, Benjamin, Hogan, Roy, Boslough, Mark, Gonzales, GiGi, and Spurny, Pavel. Wed .
"Photoacoustic sounds from meteors". United States. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep41251. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1345579.
@article{osti_1345579,
title = {Photoacoustic sounds from meteors},
author = {Spalding, Richard and Tencer, John and Sweatt, William and Conley, Benjamin and Hogan, Roy and Boslough, Mark and Gonzales, GiGi and Spurny, Pavel},
abstractNote = {Concurrent sound associated with very bright meteors manifests as popping, hissing, and faint rustling sounds occurring simultaneously with the arrival of light from meteors. Numerous instances have been documented with –11 to –13 brightness. These sounds cannot be attributed to direct acoustic propagation from the upper atmosphere for which travel time would be several minutes. Concurrent sounds must be associated with some form of electromagnetic energy generated by the meteor, propagated to the vicinity of the observer, and transduced into acoustic waves. Previously, energy propagated from meteors was assumed to be RF emissions. This has not been well validated experimentally. Herein we describe experimental results and numerical models in support of photoacoustic coupling as the mechanism. Recent photometric measurements of fireballs reveal strong millisecond flares and significant brightness oscillations at frequencies ≥40 Hz. Strongly modulated light at these frequencies with sufficient intensity can create concurrent sounds through radiative heating of common dielectric materials like hair, clothing, and leaves. This heating produces small pressure oscillations in the air contacting the absorbers. Calculations show that –12 brightness meteors can generate audible sound at ~25 dB SPL. As a result, the photoacoustic hypothesis provides an alternative explanation for this longstanding mystery about generation of concurrent sounds by fireballs.},
doi = {10.1038/srep41251},
journal = {Scientific Reports},
number = ,
volume = 7,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Feb 01 00:00:00 EST 2017},
month = {Wed Feb 01 00:00:00 EST 2017}
}
Web of Science
Works referenced in this record:
Instrumentally documented meteorite falls: two recent cases and statistics from all falls
journal, August 2015
- Spurný, Pavel
- Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union, Vol. 10, Issue S318
Current research on ethnic hair
journal, June 2003
- Franbourg, A.; Hallegot, P.; Baltenneck, F.
- Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, Vol. 48, Issue 6
Electrophonic Sound Generation by the Chelyabinsk Fireball
journal, August 2014
- Beech, Martin
- Earth, Moon, and Planets, Vol. 113, Issue 1-4
Anomalous Sounds from the Entry of Meteor Fireballs
journal, October 1980
- Keay, Colin S. L.
- Science, Vol. 210, Issue 4465
Analysis of the Marshall Islands Fireball of February 1, 1994
journal, January 1995
- Tagliaferri, E.; Spalding, R.; Jacobs, C.
- Earth, Moon, and Planets, Vol. 68, Issue 1-3
Anomalous Sounds from the Entry of Meteor Fireballs
journal, October 1980
- Keay, Colin S. L.
- Science, Vol. 210, Issue 4465
Acoustic analysis of shock production by very high-altitude meteors—I: infrasonic observations, dynamics and luminosity
journal, April 2007
- Brown, P. G.; Edwards, W. N.; ReVelle, D. O.
- Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics, Vol. 69, Issue 4-5
Electrophonic Sound Generation by the Chelyabinsk Fireball
journal, August 2014
- Beech, Martin
- Earth, Moon, and Planets, Vol. 113, Issue 1-4
Continued progress in electrophonic fireball investigations
journal, January 1995
- Keay, Colin
- Earth, Moon, and Planets, Vol. 68, Issue 1-3
Precise data on Leonid fireballs from all-sky photographic records
journal, September 2009
- Shrbený, L.; Spurný, P.
- Astronomy & Astrophysics, Vol. 506, Issue 3
Is electric charge separation the main process for kinetic energy transformation into the meteor phenomenon?
journal, July 2008
- Spurný, P.; Ceplecha, Z.
- Astronomy & Astrophysics, Vol. 489, Issue 1
Instrumental recording of electrophonic sounds from Leonid fireballs
journal, January 2002
- Zgrablić, Goran
- Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol. 107, Issue A7
VLF detection of fireballs
journal, January 1995
- Beech, Martin; Brown, Peter; Jones, J.
- Earth, Moon, and Planets, Vol. 68, Issue 1-3
Lyrids and Perseids Meteoroids: Reconciliation and Discrepancy Between Cometary Outgassing Theory and Electrophonic Sound data
journal, February 2013
- Molina, A.; Moreno, F.
- The Astronomical Journal, Vol. 145, Issue 4
Theory of the photoacoustic effect with solids
journal, January 1976
- Rosencwaig, Allan; Gersho, Allen
- Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 47, Issue 1
Current research on ethnic hair
journal, June 2003
- Franbourg, A.; Hallegot, P.; Baltenneck, F.
- Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, Vol. 48, Issue 6
Works referencing / citing this record:
Developing a Cost-Effective Radiometer for Fireball Light Curves
preprint, January 2019
- Buchan, Stuart R. G.; Howie, Robert M.; Paxman, Jonathan
- arXiv